Self-feeder match-safe.



F. E. LONG.

SELF FEEDER MATCH SAFE;

APPLIUATIOR FILED NOV.16, 1908,

912,697, Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

WITNESSES. IN VENTOR By am A TTORNE Y I m: mmnls PETERS c0. WASHINGTON, bx,

FRANK E. LONG, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

SELF-FEEDER MATCH-SAFE.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed November 16, 1908. Serial No. 462,877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK. E. Lose, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Feeder Match-Safes, of which, the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device equally adapted to be supported upon a bracket, desk, dressing case or other piece of furniture, or be hung against the side wall of a room and that will automatically feed down the matches direct from the match box as needed.

I accomplish my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a perspective of the safe; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

In the drawings A represents the body of a safe, and B a lid thereon, preferably hinged.

C G are slotted openings of key hole form, reverse, the lower circular parts C C being adapted to receive the heads of nails or screws that may be in a wall, the neck of the nail or screw tittin into the upper part of the elongated end 0 the slot when the safe is slightly lowered. The safe is thus held firml against the wall, being removable only by first raising it up the length of said elongated slots.

D represents an oblong match box, the casing or top thereof removed, set end-wise in the safe, the open front set to correspond with the front of the safe; (Z d illustrate matches therein, and D represents a match ignition surface. E, at the front of the base of the safe, is a retainer to prevent the descending matches falling out. Said retainer also supports the front of a false bottom E which extends therefrom downward and rearward on an incline or curve and forms the receptacle for the matches that are in position for use at the front of the safe. This construction of the false bot tom prevents any of the matches lodging in the right angle corner formed by said front E and the bottom F of the safe, thus facilitating the withdrawal of each match and at the same time serving as an upward and backward check upon the descent of the matches. The upper part of the front of the safe is provided with two fingers H ll dovetailed apart. as shown in Fig. 1 and curved somewhat to the rear. T hese fingers, as shown in Fig. 3, serve to prevent the matches that press against them passing down too rapidly and guide them rearward where they mingle and descend with those still in the match box into the receptacle.

It will be understood that the matches are not emptied from the match box into the safe but the box itself placed endwisc in the safe, the matches being thus retained in horizontal position. When one box is emptied lid B is lifted, the empty match box withdrawn and another inserted. Fingers H H of spring metal readily yield space for the box as it is inserted and when the empty box is being removed said fingers are easily sprung and held forward until the box has been raised above the horizontal of the tips of said fingers.

I desire to reserve the right to make any changes in said. safe that will adapt it for use with match boxes of any size and shape, to construct it with one, or two, or more lingers of any form and to make any other alterations in construction that are simply mechanical.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is D 1. A match safe comprising a body form.- mg a magazine as a receptacle for a match box, a hinged lid, perforations forming a match igniter near the top, a cut away por tion below the igniter, feed fingers projecting downward into said cut away space and curved somewhat backward into the maga zine, a match retainer at the front below said cut away portion, and an inclined curved false bottom extending rearward from the top of said retainer, substantially as set forth and shown.

2. In a self-feeder match safe the combination with an open match box and the matches therein. of the body of a match safe its front spaced from the match box, a. partly open front its upper part provided with a match ignitcr, its lower part serving as a match retainer, feed fingers curved rearward in thc body of said safe and an. inclined false bottom to support the lower matches and retard the descent of those in the match box, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with a match safe, of a self-feeder match safe of oblong shape provided with a lid and having solid vertical I bar-l; and sides and upper and lower front l parts entirili closed, a false bottom attached to the top edge of the front; retainer part. incurred downward and backward to check the forward egreas of matcheb from the match box, and lingers in the central open space at the front to receire and carry backward the matches falling forward from the upper half of the match box, aululantially as act forth and shown.

t. The combination in a self-feeder match afe with a match box set eadwiae, its top removed, of the sides. back. top, bottom, and the upper and lower :-olidly cloaed parts of the front of the safe spaced forward from the match box, feed lingers integral with the u 'iper part of aaid front heal-mg down ward and rearward to a line slightly back of the vertical of the front of the match box into contact with the matehe. to check their too 'apid descent, and a faint bottom cn 'agiug at its front edge with the top of the lower member of the front of the safe and curved downward and rearward therefrom to the horizontal line of the bottom of the safe to check the too rapid egress of the matches into the match l'tt'tpltttlt and per mit the lower end of the Hhlll'l]. box to be seated iii-ml on the base of the safe, aub tanlially as shown and described.

.3. The combination with a match box of a self-Feeder match safe comprising feed fingers extending downward and rearward into contact with the matehea to prevent their too rapid tltat'ilil: the \ertical spaces at the sidea and between said lingers conatituting the only open parts of the safe, a falac bottom its front edge extending horizontally across the entire lower part of the front, a retainer below and supporting said edge of the false bottom closing the lower part. of the front of the match safe chamber, subatantially aa de cribed and forth.

(3. A match eafe com 'irising a closed bottom, back, aides. a. lid on top thereof, a front closed at. the bottom and also closed at the top, feed fingers bearing downward and rearward in the open space in the front, a false bottom supported at the front on the top horizontal edge of the lower member of the front and curved downward and rearward to the safe bottom forming a. distributing receptacle for matches and permitting an end of a match box to be solidly seated in the right angle formed by the back and bottom of the safe, aubatantially as shown and described.

7. A match safe for receiving an uncovered match box endwiee therein comprising front nuanbers at top and bottom closed rigidly, feed fingers projecting downward and rearward from the upper front member. a falae bottom rigidly supported on the top edge of the lower from member bearing downward and rearward to seat the lower end of the match box, the front space on said false bottom forming a. receptacle for matches descending to occupy' the space of those withdrawn, substantially as do ecribed and shown.

The combination with a match safe having a front with upper and lower members spaced apart, of match feeder fingers projecting downward from aaid upper 111cm her and a. floor, its front edge supported by the top edge of said lower member and curved to form a match receptacle, subatair tially as set forth and shown.

SJ. In a. uitcli safe having an open top and a front with upper and lower membera spaced apart, a floor connected with the top edge of the lower mcml'rer of the front and extending backward on a curred decline, thence horizontally, its rear part serving as a support fora match box, its front part as a 1.'Q(f]3tftl0 for matches and as brace to prevent a too rapid descent of matches deacending from said box, substantially aa shown and set forth.

In teatimony whereof I affix my signature in preeence of two witnesses.

FRANK i LQNF.

I). F. Hnirron, Geo. S. JOYCE. 

